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Harlem Village Academies Career Day

Dominique Sisto (class of 2014), Amy Rosentel (class of 2015), and Megan Greger (class of 2015) recently had the opportunity to participate in career day at Harlem Village Academy on April 30, 2014. We met with high school students and explained the physician assistant career including the education process from high school until admission into PA school. We answered questions about what PAs do, where we work, and what fields we work in. We also showed students some of the instruments we work with. We explained tuning forks, and allowed the students to try them by placing them on each other’s heads and next to their ears to hear the vibrations. We brought reflex hammers and showed them reflexes they had never seen before, like the ones in the arm. They also enjoyed playing with penlights and seeing the direct and consensual pupillary constriction. One of the big hits was the stethoscopes, as the students were able to listen to their own and their friends’ heart beats.

Many of the students were unaware of the PA profession and were fascinated by what it entails. Several of the students were already interested in medicine and thought that this might be the career for them.

Katie Dubeil, who orchestrated the event, told us that our table was one of the most popular ones. According to Katie, one student who has many difficulties in his home life was truly amazed at what he experienced. “I was able to hear my own heart beat for the first time! That was so cool,” he said. Katie was happy to see this student so excited. He stated that he was afraid of medicine when he first sat down, but after 10 minutes his mind had changed.

This was definitely an amazing experience that has allowed us to bring the PA profession to a new generation of students.